The frost performs its secret ministry, by any wind. the owlet’s cry came loud – and hark, again ! loud as before. the inmates of my cottage, all at rest, have left me to that solitude, which suits abstruser musings: save that at my side my cradled infant slumbers peacefully. ‘it’s calm indeed ! so calm, that it disturbs and vexes meditation with its strange and extreme questions: a. the ‘secret ministry’ of the frost is that (a) it is falling on the ground (b) it ministers the earth (c) it deals with the air (d) it has a secret deal with the nature b. there is silence all round. this is seen in the phrase (a) and hark, again (b) all at rest (c) that solitude (d) abstruser musings c. who is sleeping in the cradle? (a) the poet’s nephew (b) the poet’s niece (c) the poet’s son (d) a strange child d. what disturbs the calm? (a) weather (b) nature (c) calmness (d) the surroundings e. the word ‘meditation’ means (a) prayers (b) deep thought (c) deep ideas (d) thought

A. The ‘secret ministry’ of the frost is that:

(d) it has a secret deal with nature.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge uses the word "ministry", which conveys something is working on behalf of others. It may have a religious  connotation as well, as minister can also mean pastor. So the author wants to express nature as something that is alive, which is why it can have a deal with the frost. And it is secret because it falls at midnight, when everyone is asleep.

B. There is silence all around. This is seen in the phrase:

(b) all at rest.

The author says everyone else is sleeping, so aside from the owl breaking the silence twice, there is no other sound.

C. Who is sleeping in the cradle?

(c) the poet's son.

His son Hartley is the one sleeping, which is clear in the sentence "my cradled infant".

D. What disturbs the calm?

(c) the calmness.

Coleridge expresses that the calm is so deep that it is disturbing in itself in the verse:

"‘It’s calm indeed ! so calm, that it disturbs

And vexes meditation with its strange

And extreme silence."

E. The word ‘meditation’ means:

(b) deep thoughts.

The author is referring to his tendency to get lost in deep, philosophical thoughts, which he is able to do when he is by himself at night and everything is quiet.

1. read the following excerpt from franklin d. roosevelt's "fireside chat 19":

on the other side of the picture, we must learn also to know that guerilla warfare against the germans in, let us say serbia or norway, us; that a successful russian offensive against the germans us; and that british successes on land or sea in any part of the world strengthen our hands.

remember always that germany and italy, regardless of any formal declaration of war, consider themselves at war with the united states at this moment just as much as they consider themselves at war with britain or russia. and germany puts all the other republics of the americas into the same category of enemies. the people of our sister republics of this hemisphere can be honored by that fact.  

the true goal we seek is far above and beyond the ugly field of battle. when we resort to force, as now we must, we are determined that this force shall be directed toward ultimate good as well as against immediate evil. we americans are not destroyers — we are builders.

analyze the effectiveness of this excerpt. how does it function within the speech as a whole? how does the structure of the excerpt to convey the speech's purpose and key points? support your argument with evidence from the speech. (10 points)

answer: c

explanation: